Royal Night
by WK Forever
Summary: A beautiful night.


"Ohhhhh, I am so wildly nervous!"

Martin watched as his baby brother paniced over a ceremony.

"Come on, Chris. Think on this thought, we are going to be princes! Princes of our own kingdoms!"

"But Mom never expected us to be a part of the royal family."

"Come on, baby brother... Look at the bright side! We are going to be highly honored."

"Why me? You are married to Laura... I am still a single kid."

"You're not a kid, Chris. You're a young man. A prince is never a kid when crowned his own crown."

"Then, why is a child crowned when he is like a baby?"

"Chris..."

"Forget it. I have fitted this suit four different times! I can't just do this!"

"Chris, bro. Relax, you got your own kingdom. Redwall Abbey! This fortress was signed in Martin Chistopher Kratt the warrior's will to you."

Chris shed a couple tears, "But... but I can't."

"Why?"

"I can't leave you or Aviva, Koki, and Jimmy. I might never even see you again, Martin. Never mind my nephews and nieces."

Martin smiled as he wrapped his arm around Chris' shoulder, "Hey, I promise that I will find a way to make your life better. I promise that I will see you, both when my kids are born and at your balls and stuff."

"Thanks, bro. I knew I can count on you!"

Both brothers exchange a tight hug, a hug that neither brother wanted to leave.

At eight p.m., after the ceremony, Chris sat on the stair step of the winding stairway. He watched as his brother and sister-in-law danced under the moonlight. He smiled, "My brother's lucky... he's got a comforter, a caretaker, and even the beautifuliest girl ever in his presence. Me... I am nothing compared to him." His smile dropped to saddness.

Aviva and Koki were chatting like nuts at the fruit punch bowl. They were dressed in the royaliest dresses that the Queen of England had given them after she crowned her daughter, Chris' mother, queen in her stead.

Chris hugged up to the stair railing and started crying again. This was not what he had in mind for life. He dismissed himself and retreated to the royal garden.

He couldn't feel anything in his body but his saddness.

Chris trampled over a few fallen flowers. He picked up one rose bud and said, "I can't be king... I am too kind to be one."

He trimmed the thorns off of the beautiful rose. With his hands, he opened it carefully and dipped it in the pond. The bud opened bigger and released a powerful fragance.

"I never knew you were a florist!"

Chris turned around. Aviva stood right up against him, "Martin's concerned about you."

Chris' hands still held the damp rose as he fought his selffish soul to either give it to her or to drop it. "uhmm... I was just uhhh..."

He glanced at the rose behind his back and gulped. "I was just taking a little walk by myself... YEAH! A little walk."

Aviva smiled, "Come on, Prince Chris Kratt."

"Stop it, Aviva!"

"Come on! I am going to be your host in Redwall. You shouldn't keep secrets from your friends!"

"Wait! You're my host?"

"Hostress."

"At what?"

"Feeding you, cleaning up the palace, and even fanning you from your anger."

"Stop it, Aviva."

"Come on!"

"You can't! You're a pretty girl and shouldn't be doing such chores... IT'S TOO MUCH!"

"Not if I were princess... I'm not joking... But I hired myself in your stead to take care of you, but leave you in the mire all by yourself with us going on adventures by ourselves, is just plain wrong. Every inventor's got a way!"

Chris smiled, "Okay, I get it, but really?"

"I am sure."

"Then..."

"What?"

"I believe I should give this to you... You are so generous to me..."

"We have been friends for so long... why should I leave you?"

Chris exposed the opened rose. Aviva didn't take it instantly, "I have to say, you do look like Prince Handsome."

"Stop it!"

"I can't! Imagine working under an important person for the rest of your life!"

"NO! I CAN'T LET YOU DO THAT!"

Chris knelt before Aviva and begged heartily to stop feeling such generous to him, who is just a pest in the Tortuga.

"You a pest?"

"Yes!"

"You're feeling sorry for yourself."

"I am not! I hate you!"

Chris slapped his mouth shut. Aviva's eyes watered as she turned back, "I was trying to help you... but if you don't need me, I guess... I will leave... Good-bye... forever."

Chris watched as Aviva walked away from him. He dropped the rose in the pond and crashed in tears. He felt so foolish telling her to leave him alone.

Martin came up to Chris and said, "Why the long face, bro?"

"I can't tell you..."

"Why?"

"Because... I just ruined my royal decree already."

"What happened?"

"I... yelled at Aviva."

"Why?"

"Because, I didn't want her to help me... she got on my nerves and I yelled at her to leave."

"And?"

"I told her that I hated her!"

"What?"

"Martin! I am so scared!"

Martin sat on the bridge railing with Chris and looked out to the moon gleaning on the water. He looked at Chris' eyes. He was crying from his disrespect.

"This doesn't have to be this way, bro."

"Just, I am just stressed!"

"Why can't you just go and apologized?"

"I am scared to!"

"Every prince got to make right his troubles."

"Well, alright! I'll go."

Chris went to the ballroom. Aviva was sitting on the stairs watching the princes and princesses dancing.

Chris went outside out of Martin's sight and trimmed a handful of roses. He knew he had to make right. He tiptoed back in the palace and watched Martin and Laura step back into the dance and danced all they want.

As they were lost in the crowd, Chris went up to Aviva and said, "Care to dance?"

Aviva looked up and saw Chris. She stood up shocked and kept her hand from his open one. Chris smiled and handed her the roses. "I am so sorry that I yelled at you... I kinda lost my head."

Aviva smirked, "You kinda? It looks like your head is still attached to your shoulders!"

Chris laughed. "Okay, you got me... But I can't just make you work all those things..."

"Forget about it."

"Do you wanna dance?"

"Okay, I forgive you, but dancing with you is quite so..."

Chris' eyes widened with fear.

Aviva smiled, "Amazing. Yes, I do."

Chris smiled as he joined hands with hers. He blushed in her eyes and saw the pink n the reflection of her eyes.

After several minutes, he said, "I know you want me to forget it, but, I still can't let you do it."

"I know. But I can have some ladies with me."

"No... I got a better idea."

"What?"

"Mind if we go outisde?"

"Sure."

Once the couple were outside, the moon glowed its beam on them. Chris picked up the woman and sat her on the bridge railing. He sat next to her and closed her hands in his, "Listen, I know I went too far that time... but I sat in this very spot wondering on how to face life without my friends... But you don't have to be my friend anymore."

"WHAT? Of course I want to be your friend."

"But you don't need to anymore."

"Why?"

"I was thinking, just then, when I danced with you for those minutes, you shouldn't be my friend for this reason."

"What?" Aviva's eyes watered again. "We just got back together, now you will break up our friendship again."

"The reason is simple." Chris' face sat stern in the moonlight. Aviva couldn't bear to hear the words...

"You don't have to be my friend anymore... if you want to marry me."

"Chris! I can't... what?"

"I said, you don't have to be my friend anymore if you want to marry me."

"Marry you?"

"Will you marry me?"

Aviva's eyes glowed in the white light. They reflected off Chris'. She said, "I... don't understand... why the stern face?"

"I was acting serious, you now. I am always like that!"

"Oh, Chris..."

"Will you marry me, Aviva Corvando?"

"You're just doing it so I don't have to work!"

"No, I am just doing it because, I had this in my room since the time you died and I risked my life into Hades' Underworld in Hercules' land to swim and get you."

Chris revealed a box with a ring inside it. "It's been so long, Aviva... do you want to marry me?"

Aviva smiled, "I will! I do! I love you!"

Under the moonlite night, the couple hugged each other under the dark garden. Martin and Laura had stopped dancing to find Chris and Aviva. But found them in the garden, sitting side by side watching the moon shine its light upon them.


End file.
